Unconventional Convention (was "Star Trek: First Contact")

E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Sun, 24 Nov 1996 11:00:15 -0800 (PST)


On 24/11/96, Nadia wrote:

>Do think it would work? ready to put in the hours?
>How much is one of thoese booths? What would you sell?

Extropian artwork --visual and other, copies of Extropy Magazine,
Michael Lorrey's upcoming book, books that contain 'extropianesque' themes
and ideas e.g.: "The Physics Of Immortality" by Tipler, nanotechnology books
by Drexler and Regis, books by Moravec, Leary, FM-2030 (and Efstantiary),
Walford...you get the idea. T-shirts, supplements like DHEA etc., donations
to various institutes.
You could even throw cryonic suspension packages in there! <g> Maybe a
raffle? The possibilities are nearly endless. The problem with this is
that it *might* cheapen the philosophy. At a 'fiction' convention, extropy
might seem like a 'nice thought' as opposed to an active philosophy. If we
want extropianism to be publicized, we want it to be done seriously...and
well; otherwise, most people will turn their noses up at what seems
unattainable or unrealistic.

Take "Star Trek" for example. I'm sure that show has many good
ideas presented in it (I rarely watch television), but looking at the mass
publicity of the show, it is apparent that the 'trekkies' can discern that
it is fiction. Extropy is *not* fiction, and it would be a shame to see it
perceived as such. My point is that if we (as extropian types) are going to
bring our philosophy to the forefront in a way that can be grokked by the
average individual, we have to do it tastefully and tactfully. We have the
goods and the knowledge, but we have to convey them carefully, lest extropy
appear a cult to the untrained eye.

Ingredi Externus!

-E. Shaun Russell

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~~~:~~~> E. ternity E. Shaun Russell
:~~> E. xpansion e_shaun@uniserve.com
:~~~> E. xtropy Extropian poet\musician

-"Outward is the only place to go that is not bound"-
From "Verging On A Brink"
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